Thread-carrier-operating mechanism for circular-knitting machines.



H. A. HOUSEMAN.

THREAD CARRIER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1914.

1,152,951, Patentedsept. 7., 1915.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPTA). 11914.

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HARRY A. HOUSEMAN. 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARDMACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

' THREADCARRIEROPERATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

Application led September 9, 1914.

` drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means, in that type ofcirculai` knitting machine in which the needle cylinder rotates whilethe cams and the thread carriers are non-rotatable. wherebythe threadcarriers may be positively moved both into and 'out of operativerelation with the needles.

' More specifically the object is to provide means to positively moveone thread carrier into action and then after a brief interval,

- to insure the engagement by the needles of the thread carried thereby.positively' move out of action the thread carrier previously in action.

The advantage of thus positively operating the thread carriers, ascontrasted with the common method of moving them into ae. tion bysprings and out of action against the tension of their springs, isobvious.

In a patent issued to me January 9, 1900, No. 640,7 69, I have disclosedmeans for positively moving thread carriers both into and out of action,but suchmeans were applied to a machine inwhich the needle cylinder wasstationary while the cams `and the thread carriers rotated. The .presentinvention utilizes certain features set forth in said patent, butsupplements them by special features ofv an inventive character adaptedto insure the successful positive operation of the thread carriers inboth directions in a machine in which the needle cylinder is therotatable element.

In the drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of my invention,Figure l'is a sectional side elevation of a portion of a knittingmachine embodying my invention. Fig 2 is a plan view of the sameand'Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

A table b, mounted on the machine frame Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Serial No. 860,852.

a, carries a needle cylinder c, which has fastened to it the gear (Z,driven by means not shown but -well known in the art. The threadcarriers e, e', c2 and e3 are shown as pivotally mounted on a pin f'.vFour thread carriers are shown. but the number may vary according ,tothe requirements of the work. The tails of the thread carriers areactuated by cams g, g and g', on the upright lever L, which, between itsends. carries a shaft j, which is Arockable, and also slidable in thedirection of its axis, in bearings 7., on the machine frame.

The cam g is of a width, preferably.

about the same as the thickness of a thread n carrier. while the cams g.g, are each of a width sufhcient to engage and actuate three of thethread carriers. The cam face of the cam g is inclined upward, so thatany in-y actlve thread carrier that 1t engages w1ll` be moved intooperative position. The cam face of each of the cams r/ is inclineddownward. so that any active thread carrier that it engages will bemoved into inoperative position. The cam g is located in advance of thecamsv'f/ to insure the rendering act-ive of one carrier before the othercarrier is ren dered inactive. Further. in the forward movement of thelever li. there is a slight dwell` as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained, after cam ,f/j has acted and before cam g acts, to insure theplacing of the new thread in the needles before the old thread isremoved therefrom.

It will be understood that by sliding the shaft j in its bearings. thecam f/ may be caused to aline with any desired thread carrier, while theremaining thread carriers will be alined with one or both of the cams g.Then. b v rocking the shaft j. the first named thread carrier will berendered operative by the cam while any of the other thread carriersthat is in active position will be rendered inoperative' by one, of thecams g.

A spring Z normally holdsv the lever la in itsretracted position. whilea spring p. coiled about the shaft and confined between the lever h andone of the bearings 7u.-

the lever la., forwardly and these means will now be described. j

A pattern chain shaft m has a ratchet wheel n, which is given anintermittent motion by means not shown but wellknown and commonlyemployed on all circular knitting thread carrier which will be alinedwith thecaln g depend, obviously, on the height of the lug carried bythe pattern chain.

The cam wheel s carries a number of cams s. all of the same contour, andadapted to actuate a pin t carried by the tail oflever h, the lever hforward as and thereby swing before described. 4Iin t is long/enou h tobe in the path of the cams 8 in the dirent lateral positions to whichlever hy is shifted.

The cams s are spaced apart the same angular distance as the lugs o.There may be said, therefore, to be a cam s for each lug o and acorresponding lug and cam are so relatively positioned that the cam facej ot' the lug o will operate in advance of the 4cam face' of thecorresponding cam s',

thereby effecting a lateral shift of the lever h prior to its advanceswinging movement.

As before described, it is desirable to provide, in the advance'movementof the lever v h, a dwell between the operation of cam g and theoperation of cam g. This is effected by shaping the face of eachca-m sso as to provide an upwardly inclined face followed,successively by aflat face and another upwardly inclined face. Thus, after the lever h isshifted laterally, it is' swung forward to cause cam g to operate thecarrier in line therewith, .then it is held stationary to give time forthe thread to be caught and knitted a certain distance into the fabric,and then its forward motion is completed to allow one of the cams g tomove the previously operative carrier out of action. During the timethat a cam s is thus actuating lever It, the high face of thecorresponding, lug o is holding bellcrank 1' and shaft jstationary.l Thelug o rides from under bell-'crank r just after the corresponding cam srides beyond pin t. Consequently lever h is first retracted by thespring l and is then moved laterally by the spring p until it is 'actedupon by an# other lug on the pattern: chain.I

It will be understood that when a thread lLetters Patent is:

1. In ra'circular knitting machine, the combinationy with a rotatableneedle cylinder, of a series of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, positively operated mechanism adapted to positively move onecarrier into action and another -carrier out of action, andpattern-controlled mechanism tovestablish operative relation betweensaid mechanism and different combinations of carriers to cau saidmechanism to so operate to effect any predetermined change of yarn.

2. In a circular knitting machine, thc combination with a rotatableneedle cylinder, of a series of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers. positively operated mechanism adapted to positively move onecarrier into action and another carrier out of action, andpattern-controlled mechanism adapted to first select the carriers to bemoved respectively into and out of action and then positively operatethe same to effect the change o yarn.

3. InA a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatableneedle cylinder, of a series of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, positively operated mechanism adapted to positively move saidthread carriers into and out of action` and pattern means to establishoperative relations between said mechanism and different combinations ofcarriers.

Athread carriers, positively operated mechanism adapted to positivelymove said thread carriers into and out of action, pattern means adaptedto establish operative rela-` tions between said mechanism and differentpairs of carriers to dictate the movement of one carrier into, and theother out of, action, and positively operating means to positivelyactuate said mechanism to effect the change of yarn.

5. In a combination with a rotatable Vneedle cylinder, of a series ofnon-rotatable independent thread carriers, mechanism adapted topositively move said thread carriers both into and out of action,pattern-controlled means adapted to preliminarily position saidmechanism to ate said mechanism.

6. In a circular knitting machine, the

circular knitting machine, the,

combination with a rotatable needle cylinder, of a series ofnon-rotatable independent thread carriers, positively operated mechanismadapted to positively move one carrier into action and another carrierout of action, a set of attern cams adapted to aetuate said meciianismto bring it into operative relation with different pairs of carriers,and pattern cam mechanism adapted to actuate said mechanism to effect achange of yarn.

7.111 a circular lcnittin machine, the combination with a rotatab eneedle cylinder, of a plurality of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, cams adapted to res ectvely move one carrier into action an(another carrier out of action, and means te shift said cams to-preliminarilv bring them into operative relation with dierentcombinations of carriers.

8. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatab eneedle cylinder, of a plurality of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, cams adapted to respectively move one carrier into action andanother carrier out of action, means to shift said cams to preliminarilybring them into operative relation with different combinations of threadcarriers. and means to actuate said cams to cause the first cam tocomplete the movement into action of one carrier before the other camwithdraws from action the other carrier.

9. In a circular knittin machine, the combination with a rotatab eneedle cylinder, of a plurality of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, positively operated mechanism comprising a part adapted toshift a thread carrier into action an a part adapted to shift a threadcarrier out of action, and pattern mechanism adapted to establishoperative relations between each of said parts and dill'erent carriers.

10. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatableneedle cylinder, of a plurality of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, cams adapted to respectively mevo one carrier into action andanother earrier out of action, pattern mechanism, and means controlledthereby to preliminarily bring said cams into operative relation withdifferent combinations of thread carriers and to then successivelyoperate said cams.

11. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatableneedle cylinder, of a plurality of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, cams adapted to respectively move one carrier into action andanother carrier out of action, pattern mechaism, means actuated by thepattern mechanism to preliminarily shift said cams into position tobring them into operative relation with diflerent combinations of threadcarriers, and means actuated by the pattern mechanism to thereaftercause said cams to operate successively.

12. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatableneedle cylinder, of a plurality of non-rotatable independent threadcarriers, a cam for moving inactive carriers into action adapted to bealined with one of said carriers, cams for moving active carriers out ofaction arranged on opposite sides of the first cam, means to shift saidcams in unison to cause the first cam to aline 'with any one of saidcarriers, and means to advance said cams in unison into operativerelation with the carriers.

18. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatableneedle cylinder` of a plurality of non-rotatable independentsubstantially radially extending thread oarriers, a central cam ormoving inactivo earriers into action adapted to be alined radially withone of said carriers, cams for movin active carriers out of actionarrange on opposite sides of and beyond the first cum, means to shiftsaid cams laterally in unison to cause the first cam to aline radiallywith any one of said carriers, and means to impart to said cams twosuccessive movements 1n an inward radial direction, thereby causing thecentral cam to first move one carrier into action and one oi'- tho aidecams to then move out of action a carrier previously in action.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPhiladelphia., on this 5th day of Se tomber, 1014.

I-IAR Y A. I-IOUSEMAN.

Witnesses: v

JACOB Bamm, W. P. BnoommMANN.

Copla et this patent may be obtained for 11n centi each, by addressingthe Oommlmoner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

